Located on Casino Drive, this is the largest, most talked-about resort in the Bahamas, and one of the most spectacular in the Caribbean in scope and scale. Its 34-acre waterscape, 11-million-gallon marine habitat, 1,000-slot casino, 63-slip marina, 44 restaurants and lounges, full spa and world-class shopping have changed the face of Nassau and Paradise Island. This surreal escapist resort creates its own world and looks like what one sees on the cover of science fiction novels.
The 600-suite Cove Atlantis opened in March 2007. The property is housed in a 22-story tower and features a Bobby Flay Mesa Grill restaurant, an adults-only pool area with 22 private cabanas and a separate family pool, a nightclub called Pure, and several cafes and restaurants. Guests should be prepared for steep prices. Aquaventure, a 63-acre water park, has 81 lifeguard stations.
The Royal Towers complex is crowned with spires of arching sailfish, and a 16th-floor bridge
is supported by gigantic seahorses. Staffers greet guests beneath a colonnade overlooking the marina and escort them to reception under a dome of gilded scallop shells and mythical murals supported by enormous sculpted columns. Every fixture is finely detailed to underscore the undersea theme. Myriad snack bars, take-outs, delicatessens and bars complement 14 full-service restaurants offering American, Continental, Bahamian, Italian and Asian cuisine.
Two curved staircases descend to the stunning Ruins Lagoon, the world's largest aquarium, where 20,000 marine creatures live amid the tumbled walls of a mythical submerged city. The Dig, an imaginative archaeology site, winds through tunnels and chambers showing the inventions and language of the lost people of Atlantis. Eleven exhibit lagoons, swimming, boating and fishing ponds, river rafting and snorkeling trails await outside. The Mayan Temple has five water slides twisting through jungle, including The Leap of Faith, which drops straight down, emerging in a pool underneath the shark tanks. The Discovery Channel Camp keeps children 
entertained while parents zip off to golf, tennis or scuba diving. All this, and miles of sandy beach too.
The Mandara Spa, set in its own two-story building, offers 24 treatment suites and a heated thalassotherapy pool, and is only available to registered guests. There is a full-service fitness center for the health minded.
Convention space, including two large ballrooms, accommodates 3,000 people. Lengthy, somewhat confusing corridors connect the lobby with the casino (the Caribbean's largest), shops, restaurants and guest rooms, and it can take some guests an hour to transit the grounds. The Marina Village adds Starbucks and four new restaurants including Carmine’s steakhouse, as well as a variety of shops and entertainment options.
Accommodations are in four blocks arranged around the lagoons. Royal Towers offers oversized 
luxurious rooms with aquatic motifs on top-notch furnishings and linens, and terrace, harbor or water views. Marble baths have extra vanity space and huge combination baths. Coral Tower rooms are scaled-down versions of Royal rooms with one king or two double beds. The Beach Tower maintains the theme for the budget-conscious with one king or two double beds, while the Harborside Resort, a clutch of five-story, peak roofed buildings, offers one- to three-bedroom apartments. All rooms have air conditioning, TVs, minibars, safes, irons and ironing boards and hair dryers. Imperial Suites feature dedicated elevators, VIP service, concierge, private dining and upgraded amenities. Smoke-free and wheelchair-accessible rooms are offered, and service is exceptional.
Throngs of day-trippers from other resorts and cruise ships make for crowded public areas. And this place is growing. Here, more is more. Check out the enormous yachts docked out front.
